(a) A Board will hear a case only after a student has notified an instructor/evaluator(s) of a dispute over an academic evaluation and after the student has made an unsuccessful attempt to resolve differences with the instructor/evaluator(s), if necessary in consultation with the departmental chair. In cases of end-of-term evaluations, a student must notify an instructor/evaluator(s) of a dispute over an academic evaluation and must attempt to resolve differences no later than February 15 for the previous fall semester or winter intersession; and no later than September 15 in cases of end-of term evaluations for the previous spring semester, spring intersession, or summer session. In cases of an evaluation made known to a student during the term, the student must notify an instructor/evaluator(s) of a dispute over academic evaluation and must attempt to resolve differences no later than 15 calendar days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and University holidays from classes) after the results of the evaluation are made known to the student. If a student fails to notify an instructor/evaluator(s) or fails to attempt resolution within the appropriate time limit, the Board shall deny any request for a hearing on the claim unless, in the view of the Board, the student has been prevented from complying with the appropriate time limit (as, for example, in the case of a student being called into military service).

(c) To avoid a jurisdictional impasse, the appeal shall be heard by the Appeals Board in the undergraduate college in which both the course/evaluation and the instructor/evaluator(s) are located. Any thesis and dissertation appeals and appeals of the results of the graduate qualifying, comprehensive, and general exams shall be heard by the Graduate College Appeals Board.

(g) Decisions of the Board shall be communicated in writing to the Board's dean, the student's dean, the student, and the instructor/evaluator(s). The Board's decisions shall be final and shall be implemented unless either the student or the instructor/evaluator(s) makes written appeal to the Executive Committee (or comparable body) of the degree-recommending college within 10 calendar days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and University holidays from classes) after being notified of the Board's decision. The decision of the Executive Committee (or comparable body) shall be final and shall be implemented unless either the student or the instructor/evaluator(s) makes written appeal to the faculty of the degree-recommending college within 10 calendar days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and University holidays from classes) after being notified of the Committee's decision. In the case of an appeal to the faculty of the degree-recommending college, the faculty's decision shall be final and shall be implemented. The faculty of a degree-recommending college, however, may delegate their authority to consider appeals under this policy to the Executive Committee (or equivalent body) of the degree-recommending college, in which case the decision of the Executive committee shall be final and shall be implemented without appeal to the faculty.

Rationale:

The code as written does not cover qualifying, comprehensive, and general exams which are given to graduate students. These exams are not given as part of a course, so there is no instructor. Therefore, the word instructor was changed to instructor/evaluator, and the word course was changed to course/evaluation. For the same reason, the words "and appeals of the results of the graduate qualifying, comprehensive, and general exams" were added. The above changes also bring about agreement between the Graduate College Bulletin and the Student Code.